Echo Show 5 Review

A Perfect Size Smart Alarm Clock

The smart home space is getting more crowded
every day. From smart doorbells to smart lights, it was only a matter of time until
we got a few solid smart alarm clocks. Entering this space is the newly
released Echo Show 5, and for the price, it is a hard device to beat.

At first glance the Echo Show 5 seems like a
standard alarm clock with a nice display, but under the surface it does almost
everything we have come to expect from its bigger and more expensive older
brother, the Echo Show, only in a more bedside table friendly size. It also
addresses many of the complaints people had about the Echo Spot, and although
not quite as fun a shape, the Show 5 is without question the device to buy,
especially with the cheaper price.

From the point of unboxing to setting it up, the
Echo Show 5 feels like a shrunk down Echo Show 2nd generation. The 5.5 inch
screen and smaller rear-firing speaker are the biggest and most noticeable
differences between the two devices. While yes, the Echo Show will be louder,
and the 10-inch screen is more conducive to watching media, beyond that, the
Show 5 has most of the features you would want out of a smart screen, only
smaller.

Echo Show 5 – Photo Credit: CGMatgazine

As I mentioned before, the 5.5-inch screen is
not the best looking on devices today, it only manages a resolution of 960 x
480 pixels, and the clarity is not great. In fact, I would venture to guess
most phones have a much higher resolution and screen density than this little
device. Having said that, the Echo Show 5 is perfectly serviceable and is fine for
the type of device it is and it’s easy to see in most bedroom setups. It is
also fantastic to see the ambient light adjustment on the display, meaning you
won’t be kept awake by the display as you try and get a good night’s rest.

Much like the screen, the 4-watt speaker will
not be the life of any parties. While it sounds good at reasonable volumes, and
podcasts and music sound surprisingly good on it, the device simply lacks the
power and projection to fill anything but a smaller room with sound, though
Alexa does sound good on it and managed to be very clear anywhere in the room where
I tested it. Much like the Echo Input, the Echo Show 5 has the potential to output
via a 3.5mm headphone jack to a bigger stereo system. While not something I
think many will try, it is nice to see Amazon include this feature on such an
inexpensive unit.

Echo Show 5 – Photo Credit: CGMatgazine

With the Echo Show 5, Amazon is only using a
two-microphone array for voice commands, as opposed to the four-microphone
array in the larger 10-inch Echo Show. Yet even with this decrease in
microphones I never noticed any issues with Alexa understanding my commands,
even when listening to audio.

Like past Echo Show devices, Amazon included a
built-in camera for video calls with the Show 5. Now, this 1-megapixel camera
will not be winning any awards for quality or clarity, but it can be used to
video chat with another Echo device, the Alexa App, and Skype if you wish. One great feature that
Amazon has included with this iteration of the Echo Show is the physical switch
to block the camera. This is something that is essential for any internet
connected device sitting in a bedroom, and I hope more manufacturers take
notice and look to implement something similar moving forward.

The Echo Show 5 has all the major services we
have come to expect from Echo-based products, including services from around
the web like CBC, NBC, Amazon Prime, How-Stuff-Works, Vevo and more. It even
comes with the same set of web browsers, Firefox and Silk, but sadly, what you
won’t find here is YouTube or any Google-based service for that matter. For
anything Google related you will be reliant on the built-in web browsers, which
is certainly not an ideal situation by any stretch of the imagination.

Echo Show 5 – Photo Credit: CGMatgazine

The interface feels similar to the other Echo
Show iterations, although Amazon has made a few tweaks that make it much easier
to use overall. When you swipe left from the right edge you will find buttons
for music, alarms, video, Alexa Skills, and the new communication hub for smart
home devices. Honestly, I hope more Amazon Echo devices include these easy
access menus. While Alexa’s voice is sometimes easier, the ease of use seen in
the Echo Show 5 was a pleasant surprise.

With each iteration of the Echo range, Amazon
is providing more reason to have these in your home. From smart device control
to convenience, Echo is becoming a more exciting product category as time goes
on. Never has this been truer than with the Show 5; it is small, cheap and
useful. Since setting up, I have used the Echo Show 5 at least a few times a
day, and it has easily fit into my daily routine. From a smart alarm to the way
it connects to the rest of my home, at this time, it is hard to see a better
Smart Alarm clock currently on the market—If only they could get Google
Services working, it would be near perfect.

8

For the price, the Echo Show 5 is a near perfect choice for anyone looking for a smart alarm clock and is already part of Amazon’s ecosystem.